TEHRAN — Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has ordered Iran's Judiciary to pursue the prosecution of American and Zionist officials responsible for war crimes against the Iranian people, declaring that the restoration of the nation's violated rights is among the most urgent judicial matters facing the country.

In a message marking Judiciary Week, the Leader called for the perpetrators of unprecedented crimes against Iranian civilians to be held accountable in both domestic and international courts. 

In the two wars the U.S. and Israel have launched against Iran over the past year, the two regimes have targeted thousands of civilian sites across the country. 

The Minab attack, for instance, occurred in the southern province of Hormozgan and saw a U.S. missile strike the Shajarat Tayebah elementary school for girls, killing about 170 students and teachers. Officials have described the strike as a blatant violation of international humanitarian law, noting that the attack was carried out during school hours. 

In Lamerd, a city in Fars Province, a U.S. missile struck the Shahid Naimi sports hall while a girls' junior volleyball team was practicing. At least 24 civilians were killed and over 130 injured, including young girls and their coach. Iranian officials have characterized the attack, carried out with a newly developed Precision Strike Missile, as a "calculated decision" by Washington to test its weaponry on Iranian civilians.

Ayatollah Khamenei's message emphasized that the U.S.-Israeli crimes committed in 2025 and 2026 constitute numerous legal cases that must be pursued with full seriousness. He noted that American and Israeli officials have effectively admitted to the acts, with some openly boasting of their aggression, which under international law constitutes an acknowledgment of criminal liability.

"From the blood of the innocent martyrs of the Second and Third Imposed Wars, to the physical, psychological, material, and moral damages inflicted upon our beloved country and every member of the oppressed Iranian nation at home and even abroad; from the unprecedented child-killings and war crimes in Minab and Lamerd, to attacks on medical and service centers; from the killing of newborns just days old to beloved elders—and above all, the martyrdom of the unparalleled figure, the unique jewel of the age, the great mujahid leader (may his noble station be exalted)—each constitutes a file among hundreds or even thousands of important legal cases that must be pursued with seriousness in domestic and international judicial courts," Ayatollah Khamanei wrote. "The criminals must be held by the collar and brought to justice for their criminal acts," he stated, adding that the pursuit of these cases would also serve as a deterrent against future aggression.

The message came alongside a broader call for judicial transformation within Iran, with Ayatollah urging the Judiciary to ensure that the effects of reform are visible in the daily lives of citizens—through decisive action against corruption, faster proceedings, and greater access to justice. He stressed that the public must see the courts as a refuge for the oppressed, where even the powerful cannot transgress against the rights of others.

"Of course, achieving comprehensive judicial transformation and accelerating progress toward these goals requires various measures and prerequisites, most of which have been repeatedly articulated in the annual meetings of judicial officials and the detailed recommendations and emphases of the great martyred Leader," the Leader said. "Serious attention to them and efforts to realize them—which are the key to success for the esteemed officials of the Judiciary—are matters I firmly emphasize and demand."